Relation of cognitive and motivational variables with students' human circulatory system achievement in traditional and learning cycle classrooms

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Tezin Türü: Doktora

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Eğitim Fakültesi, Matematik ve Fen Bilimleri Eğitimi Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2010

Öğrenci: ÖZLEM SADİ

Eş Danışman: ÖMER FARUK ÖZDEMİR, JALE ÇAKIROĞLU

Özet:

This study aimed to investigate the relationships among high school students’ relevant prior knowledge, meaningful learning orientation, reasoning ability, self-efficacy, locus of control, attitudes toward biology and achievement in human circulatory system in learning cycle and traditional classrooms. This study was conducted with 2 teachers and 4 classes and total of 60 11th grade students in the private high schools at Ümitköy district of Ankara in the fall semester of 2008-2009 academic years. One class of each teacher was assigned as experimental group and treated with 5E learning cycle instruction and other class was assigned as control group and treated with traditional instruction. At the beginning of the study, both teachers were trained for how to implement 5E learning cycle instruction in the classrooms. The Human Circulatory System Achievement Test was applied twice as pre-test and after treatment period as a post-test to both experimental and control groups. Learning Approach Questionnaire was used to measure students’ approach to learning and Test of Logical Thinking was used to measure reasoning abilitiy of students. Students’ levels of self-efficacy, locus of control and their attitudes toward biology also were measured. The data obtained from the administration of post-test were analyzed by using ANOVA. The statistical result indicates that learning cycle instruction improved students’ achievement in human circulatory system compared to traditional instruction. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that in learning cycle classrooms, the main predictors of achievement in human circulatory system were students’ reasoning ability (45.8%) and their prior knowledge (15.9%). In traditional classrooms, students’ meaningful learning orientation (40%) and locus of control (9.8%) were the main predictors of achievement. This study indicated that different variables may be significant for 11th grade students’ human circulatory system achievement in learning cycle and traditional classes.